I see fair trade as the next big movement behind that of going green. For the business I am in–promotional products such as imprinted pens, magnets, T-shirts, etc. to promote your business–finding fair trade products is very challenging.

Of the 750,000 products listed in the Advertising Specialty Institute database, less than 100 come up that include fair trade in their description. That’s not to say those are the only ones. But, sadly, many are not. What’s very disheartening is that many products billed as “ecofriendly” are made in areas where fair trade is an issue.

What I’m recommending promotional product buyers do is that if they cannot determine if the product of interest is certified as fair trade, at least know the country of origin, limiting your purchases to products made in countries with fair trade and labor policies.

As we have seen more and more “green” products enter the business-to-business and consumer marketplaces over time, I believe will we see a similar trend for fair trade.

All the best to everyone in BNI New Zealand!